Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said after the Super Bowl that the team was going to make sure it brought back every core player from its championship run, and star wide receiver Chris Godwin is now officially off the market.
The Buccaneers informed Godwin on Tuesday that they will use the franchise tag on him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
There was some question about which player the Bucs would use their franchise tag on. Star pass-rusher Shaq Barrett and linebacker Lavonte David are also set to become free agents, though Schefter notes that Tampa Bay is discussing new contracts with both players.
Godwin caught 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games last season. That was a big step back from the 86 catches and 1,333 yards he had in 2019, but the Bucs have more weapons on offense now and Tom Brady loves spreading the ball around. They obviously still consider Godwin to be a key piece of their offense.
Brady and the Buccaneers are currently working toward a contract extension that should help the team re-sign some of its key veterans. There’s also still a chance the Bucs could work out a long-term deal with Godwin, and they will have until July to do so.
You can read the latest on the contract talks between Brady and the Bucs here.
